Israel's center-left parties join forces to unseat NetanyahuTwo of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s most formidable political rivals said today they planned to merge their parties to take on the veteran leader in April’s elections. The chairmen of two top center-left parties, Israel Resilience leader Benny Gantz, a one-time chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, and Yair Lapid, the chairman of Yesh Atid, plan to run on a joint "Blue and White" ticket. If their coalition wins, Gantz a 2½-year run as prime minister before handing over the reins to Lapid. Gabi Ashkenazi, who preceded Gantz in Israel’s top military role, and former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalonalso plan to join the new bloc. "The choice is clear: It's either a left-wing government headed by Lapid and Gantz and supported by a bloc of Arab parties, or a right-wing government headed by Netanyahu,” the prime minister’s Likud Party said in a statement blasting the alliance.Read More​

Americans' Two Conceptions of IsraelBy Dr. Alex Joffe and Dr. Asaf Romirowsky, February 19, 2019EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: While the Trump presidency has forced clarity in the US on many domestic and foreign policy issues, the status of Israel in American politics and culture reveals different visions of America itself. One, for lack of a better term, is traditionally American. The other is decidedly “progressive.” But according to both, Israel is mythical and outsized.Continue to full article ->

Jaish al-Adl claims deadly IRGC bus bombingJaish al-Adl, a Sunni militant group based along Iran's southeastern border with Pakistan, has claimed responsibility for a bombing that targeted an IRGC bus. The group has repeatedly targeted Iranian security forces.

Algeria’s ailing president to seek fifth termAlgeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflikaannounced on Sunday that he will run for a fifth term in the April elections, state media reported. The ailing 81-year-old president last addressed his nation more than six years ago. The announcement comes after the country’s ruling party, the National Liberation Front, endorsed Bouteflika as its official presidential candidate. Read More

Egypt to lead African UnionEgyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took the reins as chairman of the African Union (AU) on Sunday after a leaders' meeting in Ethiopia. The post switches between regions of the continent every year. Sisi said he hoped to use the role to lead the fight against terror. "Terrorism remains a cancer that affects African nations and steals the dreams of our people and we must identify and combat those who fund terrorism activities on the continent," Sisi said on Sunday. Sisi’s appointment — the first time Egypt has held the AU’s top slot since its formation — was met with concern from human rights groups. After Sisi led a military coup in 2013, Egypt was briefly expelled from the AU. Read More

Egypt parliament approves extending president’s termEgypt's parliament overwhelmingly voted Thursday in favor of constitutional amendments that could allow President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to rule until 2034. The changes would extend the current four-year presidential term to six years and allow Sisi to serve beyond his current two-term limit. Of the 596 members of parliament, 485 voted in favor of the changes, which would also give Sisi more power to appoint judges and prosecutors. The amendments must now be reviewed by a parliamentary committee and returned to parliament for a final vote, before they are put to a national referendum. Read More ​

Algeria gambles on old captain to chart new watersThe announcement that Algeria’s ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is running for a fifth term in the country’s elections raised questions about Algerians’ readiness to endorse the man who has played a prominent role in ending the civil war.

IRAN’S REVOLUTION RECONSIDERED By EPPC Fellow Luma SimmsLaw and LibertyIran and the rest of the Middle Eastern world do not need any more revolutions or Western foreign policy interventions. They need a revolution of conscience: the moral power of human dignity.Read More

The Iranian Revolution past and presentMatt Winesett, Max Frost, and Michael Rubin | "Banter" Michael Rubin discusses the revolution's legacy and what it means for Iran, the Middle East, and the US. He also discusses the legacy of the Shah, the lessons other Middle East nations drew from his fall, and whether we can expect the regime to exist for a 50th, 60th, or 70th anniversary of the revolution.

Iranian Revolution: 40 years laterKenneth M. Pollack | AEI video AEI's Kenneth M. Pollack explains the dramatic and ongoing impact that the Iranian Revolution had on the Middle East and the United States.

Shukur Khilkhal writes: Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s recent visit to Baghdad has pushed the American project to counter Iranian influence in Iraq back to square one. The visit came just after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s tour in Baghdad and several other Middle Eastern capitals, through which he sought to form a Middle Eastern coalition to counter Iran in the region in general and in Iraq in particular. During the tour, he discussed activating American sanctions on Iran with Iraqi officials, as well as limiting commercial activity with Iran and diminishing the role of Iranian-backed factions. – Washington Institute

Translating Tactical Wins into Strategic SuccessBy Nicholas Krohley, Modern War Institute: “We have mastered the art of hunting men. Refined over nearly two decades of nonstop counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations, and enhanced by a suite of increasingly powerful technological tools, the United States military has developed an extraordinary ability to find, fix, and finish targets worldwide.” Why Can’t America Win its Wars? By Stephen B. Young, Small Wars Journal: "The record of American disappointments is indeed impressive for money spent and results obtained: Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, the War on Terror."

Daniel F. Runde and Earl Anthony Wayne write: U.S. support to Afghanistan can be categorized into three buckets: a) troops and related support personnel on the ground; b) financial support to the Afghan security forces; and c) economic, development, and governance support (e.g., traditional foreign aid). U.S. contributions to all of these buckets have been dropping as Afghanistan’s authorities have assumed greater responsibility of the country’s security and development. – Center for Strategic and International Studies

Netanyahu rival wins big in Likud primaryDespite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's concentrated efforts to stifle Gideon Saar, the former minister has managed to win a top spot on the Likud’s list for the April 9 elections.

How Should the US Handle Saudi Nuclear Power Aspirations?By Debalina Ghoshal, February 7, 2019EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The US is on the horns of a dilemma regarding Saudi Arabia’s interest in nuclear power. Washington would like to cajole Riyadh into a deal that would strengthen non-proliferation, but the kingdom is well aware of the competitors vying for its business and is not necessarily receptive to such arguments. This is a concern for the US, which does not want a Russian or Chinese nuclear energy market to flourish in Saudi Arabia.Continue to full article ->

The prince is facing what one Saudi executive calls “passive resistance” from within his own government. In addition to delaying the IPO, government officials have scaled back his plans to build the world’s largest solar-generation hub, delayed plans to sell off national assets and prevented the state from increasing its investments in technology companies. – Wall Street Journal

Israel's Red Lines in Lebanon and SyriaBy Yaakov Lappin, February 3, 2019EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The "War Between Wars" is an ongoing Israeli military and intelligence effort to disrupt the force build-up of the Iranian-Shiite axis throughout the Middle East. This campaign, which has evolved into an entire force activation doctrine, has seen the Israeli defense establishment employ an approach that differentiates between Syria and Lebanon. Continue to full article ->

Will Sisi run for third term?Egypt is seemingly heading toward amending Article 140 of the constitution, as well as others, which would allow President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to run for one or even two consecutive terms of six years each.

Iran would like to move its weapons supply center for Syria from the Damascus international airport to a Syrian air base located very far from the capital city. Specifically, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, which runs this operation, apparently will relocate the center to the Syrian air base known as T4, located between Homs and Palmyra. – Haaretz

Analysis: The budding insurgency in southern SyriaYesterday, a low-quality video depicting an IED attack on a regime checkpoint in southern Syria was uploaded to the internet. A relatively unknown group, the Popular Resistance, claimed credit within the video itself. While this small outfit has claimed a series of sporadic attacks since its inception last fall, it nonetheless represents a budding insurgency […]

Jerome Drevon writes: The seizure of the northern Syrian province of Idlib by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from other armed opposition groups in early January once again brings to the fore the debate over its ties to al-Qaeda (AQ). – Middle East Institute

ODNI Releases Annual Overview of Islamic State and Al Qaeda NetworksBy Thomas Joscelyn, FDD's Long War Journal: “The ODNI warns that both the Islamic State and al Qaeda maintain global networks that are far from defeated. The Islamic State still has “thousands” of fighters in Iraq and Syria alone, contradicting claims by President Trump and other administration officials that the so-called caliphate has been defeated.”

Getting Peace Right in Afghanistan: A Political Solution to a Military ProblemBy Thang Tran, Leo Blanken & Philip Swintek, Atlantic Council: “After seventeen years of war in Afghanistan, the NATO Mission Commander, U.S. Army Gen. Austin “Scott” Miller, provided a candid assessment of the situation, stating: “This [war in Afghanistan] is not going to be won militarily… This is going to a political solution.”"

What Is At Stake In Yemenby Fahad Nazer via AnalysisContrary to the prevailing perception that the conflict in Yemen has been forgotten by the international community, the war has garnered a fair amount of attention. However, what is being overlooked is what is at stake in Yemen, how the conflict started, and why it has continued. Instead of focusing exclusively on the Saudi-led coalition’s involvement in the conflict, those seeking to understand the war and the ensuing humanitarian crisis should examine Yemen’s turbulent history, fragile state, the Houthi rebels’ record of militancy, and Iran’s designs to create yet another proxy force in an Arab country.

Israel's Red Lines in Lebanon and SyriaBy Yaakov Lappin, February 3, 2019EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The "War Between Wars" is an ongoing Israeli military and intelligence effort to disrupt the force build-up of the Iranian-Shiite axis throughout the Middle East. This campaign, which has evolved into an entire force activation doctrine, has seen the Israeli defense establishment employ an approach that differentiates between Syria and Lebanon. Continue to full article ->

The Israeli Left's Unabashed MilitarismBy Prof. Udi Lebel, February 1, 2019EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Israeli Left’s obsession with toppling PM Benjamin Netanyahu has driven it to embrace a military “dream team” bent on overthrowing a civilian ruling party. This echoes the all-too-common phenomenon of Third World military juntas seizing power to “save the nation” from “corrupt politicians.” Generals brought to power as “national saviors” in times of deep crisis have often been the harbingers of populism, authoritarianism, and fascism.Continue to full article ->

Saudi-UAE Aid Puts Pakistan-Iran Relations on the SpotBy Dr. James M. Dorsey, January 29, 2019EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Pakistan is stepping through a minefield as it concludes agreements on investment, balance of payments support, and delayed payment oil deliveries with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates worth $13 billion. These deals are likely to spawn growing distrust in its relations with neighboring Iran.Continue to full article ->

The Taliban plays Trump for a foolMichael Rubin | Washington Examiner Washington once before settled to the deal now laid before it. At the minimum, it behooves Zalmay Khalilzad and President Trump to explain why they believe that the Taliban, emboldened by what they see as the defeat of the US, would any more honor their word now than 20 years ago.

Through the Taliban’s Eyes: Peace Prospects in AfghanistanBy Baheer Wardak, the interpreter: “Any progress to end the longest war in American history would require accepting some mind-boggling demands from the Taliban, or substantial policy and ideological shifts on their part, which seem unlikely."​

The Israeli Left's Unabashed MilitarismBy Prof. Udi Lebel, February 1, 2019EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Israeli Left’s obsession with toppling PM Benjamin Netanyahu has driven it to embrace a military “dream team” bent on overthrowing a civilian ruling party. This echoes the all-too-common phenomenon of Third World military juntas seizing power to “save the nation” from “corrupt politicians.” Generals brought to power as “national saviors” in times of deep crisis have often been the harbingers of populism, authoritarianism, and fascism.Continue to full article ->

Rethinking Israel's Syria CampaignBy Maj. Gen. (res.) Gershon Hacohen, January 27, 2019EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Moscow’s public demand that Israel stop its attacks in Syria places Israel’s longstanding air campaign at a critical juncture despite PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s avowed determination to sustain it for as long as necessary.Continue to full article ->